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E♭ harmonic minor scale on guitar
E♭ harmonic minor uses E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, D. Box 1 places the root on string 4 fret 1 for a compact five-fret span.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭6, 7
How do you play the E♭ harmonic minor scale on guitar?
E♭ harmonic minor in box 1 runs from fret 1 to fret 4, 16 notes across 6 strings, from F on the low E string at fret 1 up to A♭ on the high e string at fret 4. The root falls on the D string at fret 1 and the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1, 2, 4 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 5 (A) | 1, 2 | B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 1, 3, 4 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 3 (G) | 1, 3, 4 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 2 (B) | 3, 4 | D, E♭ |
| 1 (e) | 1, 2, 4 | F, G♭, A♭ |
Box 2 · frets 4–7
E♭ harmonic minor in box 2 runs from fret 4 to fret 7, 15 notes across 6 strings, from A♭ on the low E string at fret 4 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the B string at fret 4.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 5, 6 | D, E♭ |
| 4 (D) | 4, 6 | G♭, A♭ |
| 3 (G) | 4, 7 | C♭, D |
| 2 (B) | 4, 6, 7 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 1 (e) | 4, 6, 7 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
Box 3 · frets 6–9
E♭ harmonic minor in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 15 notes across 6 strings, from B♭ on the low E string at fret 6 up to C♭ on the high e string at fret 7. The root falls on the A string at fret 6 and the G string at fret 8.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
| 5 (A) | 6, 8, 9 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 4 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 3 (G) | 7, 8 | D, E♭ |
| 2 (B) | 6, 7, 9 | F, G♭, A♭ |
| 1 (e) | 6, 7 | B♭, C♭ |
Box 4 · frets 11–14
E♭ harmonic minor in box 4 runs from fret 11 to fret 14, 15 notes across 6 strings, from E♭ on the low E string at fret 11 up to G♭ on the high e string at fret 14. The root falls on the low E string at fret 11, the D string at fret 13 and the high e string at fret 11.
Every note in this box, string by string
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
| 5 (A) | 11, 13, 14 | A♭, B♭, C♭ |
| 4 (D) | 12, 13 | D, E♭ |
| 3 (G) | 11, 13 | G♭, A♭ |
| 2 (B) | 11, 12 | B♭, C♭ |
| 1 (e) | 11, 13, 14 | E♭, F, G♭ |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ harmonic minor raises the seventh degree of E♭ natural minor from D♭ to D, creating a leading tone. The scale follows W, H, W, W, H, 1½, H. The augmented second between C♭ and D gives it a distinctive Middle Eastern color. Compare with E♭ natural minor to hear the raised seventh.
When to use it
Use E♭ harmonic minor over E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. It also fits B♭ major as the dominant. The raised seventh creates a strong pull to the tonic, making it ideal for classical cadences and flamenco progressions.
Which position to practise
Practise Box 1 first: the root on string 4 fret 1 keeps the hand in one position. It covers frets 1–4 and sets up Box 2.
Common questions
What notes are in E♭ harmonic minor?
E♭ harmonic minor contains E♭, F, G♭, A♭, B♭, C♭, and D. The raised seventh is D. The scale has an augmented second between C♭ and D. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Which chords does E♭ harmonic minor fit?
E♭ harmonic minor fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th chords. It also works over B♭ major as the dominant. The scale outlines an E♭ minor tonality with a major V chord.
How does E♭ harmonic minor differ from E♭ natural minor?
E♭ harmonic minor raises the seventh degree from D♭ to D. This creates a leading tone that pulls strongly to the tonic. The natural minor has a whole step between the sixth and seventh degrees.